CEO Paul Griffiths on the Importance of Dubai World Central Airport

Paul Griffiths, the CEO of Dubai Airports, revealed that there is a possibility to handle between 25 to 30 million additional passengers at Dubai International Airport.

However, the transition to the new Dubai World Central Airport, also known as Al Maktoum International Airport, is inevitable.

Griffiths stated in an interview with “Simple Flying” last year that the question should be when, not if, the move will happen.

Despite the optimism of local airlines regarding the future and their orders for additional aircraft, these companies will have to take this into consideration in their plans, according to Griffiths.

Dubai International is one of the busiest airports in the world, accommodating nearly 90 million passengers annually before the spread of COVID-19. Nevertheless, due to the lack of space for expansion in any direction, the airport has focused on increasing its capacity creatively.

Dubai International plans to handle the expected increase in passenger numbers, ranging from 25 to 30 million, by expanding terminals and improving operations in current areas.

While Griffiths emphasizes the importance of Dubai World Central and sees it as a necessary step, he also believes that Dubai International can handle the expected increase in passenger numbers (25 to 30 million additional passengers annually) with the arrival of many new Emirates aircraft.

Now, you may wonder how is that possible? Expansion plans Griffiths explained ways to handle the increasing number of passengers and mentioned some key expansion plans, such as expanding Terminal 2, improving operations in Concourse C, rebuilding Concourse E, and considering all other facilities to ensure productivity improvement in those areas.

Griffiths pointed out that Dubai World Central usually has a relatively low passenger transfer rate and is limited to low-cost carriers. However, it was used more intensively when the runways of Dubai International Airport were renovated and for the 2022 FIFA World Cup flights to Doha.

He stated that Dubai has massive plans for this airport, including extensive maintenance facilities for Emirates and flydubai.

Griffiths also indicated that it is almost certain that Dubai International Airport will be closed once Dubai World Central operates at full capacity and everyone transitions there. He believes it is unreasonable to operate both airports in close proximity to each other as it would be extremely costly.